Method of making sectional pile



Aug. 22, 1967 T. c. BRuNs METHOD OF MAKING SECTIONAL PILE 2 Sheets-.Sheet l Filed Aug. 17, 1964 INVENTOR r/ ////////v/// fr* 7 3 a. 2 2 wz L ATTORNEY Aug. 22, 1967 T. c. BRUNS 3,336,649

METHOD OF MAKING SECTION/1L PILE Filed Aug. 17, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 7PM/was Cleu/vs ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,336,649 METHGD F MAKING SECTIONAL PILE Thomas C. Bruns, New Orleans, La., assignor to Brunspile Corporation, New Orleans, La., a corporation of Louisiana Filed Aug. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 390,013 3 Claims. (Cl. 29-155) This invention relates to a method of making sectional piles.

In my prior Patent No. 2,983,104, granted May 9, 1961, I have disclosed and claimed a sectional pile which which has been highly successful in commercial use. This pile is particularly adapted for use in those sections of the country where bedrock cannot be reached, and where it is the practice to drive piles into the ground to support buildings to be erected thereon. Under such conditions, the piles and the load thereon are supported by frictional engagement of the pile with the earth, and accordingly, the piles must be driven relatively deeply into the ground.

Where a unitary pile is employed under such conditions, a suiciently high pile driver to reach the top of the pile is prohibitive in cost. Sectional piles have come into use in comparatively recent years, since each successive pile section may be driven with a conventional pile driver. The lirst section is driven into the ground, whereupon the next pile section is connected thereto and the operation repeated until a pile of desired length has been driven into the ground. One of the difficulties involved in such sectional piling is the time loss involved in connecting successive pile sections. Mechanics who Work on this class of work are highly paid, and substantial delays in connecting the pile sections together are costly. Such expensive delays are eliminated with the structure shown in my prior patent.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a novel methodof forming sectional piles wherein certain of the elements forming the connection between adjacent pile sections are initially used to form portions of the mold and are detached and connected together after the piles have set so that they may be `quickly used in a connecting means between a pile section and a succeeding section when an upper pile section is to be driven.

A further object is to provide such a method wherein sleeves or ferrules form portions of the mold which are to form adjacent ends of pile sections and into which the concrete is poured, the sleeves or ferrules being rocked from time to time before the concrete has set so that they will not bond to the pile and may be removed when the mold is opened so that the ferrules of adjacent pile sections, before a driving operation, may be assembled with respect to each other to form a double-ended sleeve, one of which is slipped over the upper end of a driven pile section and the other of which receives the lower end of the next upper pile section to facilitate the driving of the latter.

A further object is to proivde such a method wherein the ferrules, before being placed in the mold, are greased to minimize any tendency for the ferrules to bond with the pile sections, thus making it easy to rock the pile sections in the mold from time to time, before the concrete has set, to break loose any bonding which has occurred.

A further object is to provide such a method wherein each ferrule and the pile section associated therewith are similarly marked so that they will be assembled with their associated pile section ends to insure a proper t therewith.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

FIGURE 1 is an axial sectional view through certain of the elements within the mold in which the pile sections are cast, the mold being shown in dotted lines;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the connection between adjacent ends of two pile sections;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of an assembly of pile sections, parts being broken away;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a similar view on line 5 5 of FIG- URE l;

FIG. 6 is a perspective viewof the separating unit between a pair of adjacent pile sections;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view through a pair of adjacent ferrules for adjacent pile sections and the connecting plate therein, parts being shown separated, and

FIGURE 8 is a section on line 8-8 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to FIGURES 1, 4 and 5, the numeral 10 designates a mold as a whole, split as at 11 to form upper and lower sections 12 and 13, the latter of which is closed at the bottom thereof. The interior of the mold denes an Octagon in cross-sectional shape except for the horizontal open top 14 thereof. Such open top is flush with upper surfaces 15 of the mold section 12. It will be understood that the mold is lled in horizontal position, and the octagonal cross-sectional shape of a pile formed therein is completed by employing the surfaces 15 as a screed for the scraping oil of surplus concrete from the top of the mold.

For a better understanding of the operation of the mold, reference is made to FIGURE 2 wherein portions of two piles 20 and 21 are shown, the bodies of which will be preferably octagonal in accordance with the crosssectional shape of the mold. This shape is preferred to provide the exterior of the pile with friction surfaces of maximum areas. The lower end of the upper pile 20 is provided with a lower end 22 of circular cross-section, and the upper end of the lower pile section is provided with a similarly shaped upper end 23. These circular sections tit, respectively, into sleeve or ferrules 25 and 26, and when the parts are assembled, the adjacent ends of the sleeves 25 and 26 have interposed therebetween a plate 27 welded to the sleeves as at` 28. In the formation of the pile sections, the sleeves 25 and 26 form molds for the ends 22 and 23 of adjacent sections, as described below.

Referring to FIGURE l, the sleeves 25 and 26 are shown in position within the mold and the remote ends of the sleeves seat, respectively, against rings 30 and 31, each of which has a circular opening 32 corresponding to the inside diameter of the associated sleeve. Externally, the members 30 and 31 are octagonal to t within the mold and are held therein by any suitable means (not shown). These members serve to block olf the spaces 35 between the sleeves 25 and 26 and the mold to prevent concrete flowing thereinto when the mold is filled.

The adjacent ends ofthe sleeves 25 and 26 are separated by a unit indicated as a whole by the numeral 38 (FIG- URES l and 6). This unit comprises plates 39 spaced from each other as described below and seating, respectively, on the adjacent ends of the sleeves 25 and 26. These plates 39 are spaced by longitudinally extending members 40 welded to the plates. Each plate 39 is provided with openings 41, circularly arranged as shown in FIGURE 6. Cables 42 extend through these openings and and throughout the entire length of the mold and through the various pile sections therein. These cables extend beyond the ends of the mold to be subjected to tension in the usual manner employed in prestressing concrete, and

it will be apparent that all of the separate pile sections within the mold thus will be prestressed.

Before being placed in the mold, each sleeve 25 and 26 has welded thereto a radial projection 45 (FIG. 5) projecting upwardly through the opening 14 in the mold to receive the lower end of a pipe or similar tool 46. It will become apparent that the concrete is poured into the mold beyond the ends of the sleeves 25 and 26, there being no concrete in the mold between the members 30 and 31. This concrete is prevented from flowing into the spaces 35 by the members 36 and 3'1, as stated, and the cables 42, passing through the openings 41 in plates 39, prevent the concrete from flowing into the space between such plates.

When the parts of the adjacent sections are positioned as shown in FIGURE 2, as described above, cushions 50 of any suitable material such as lead or asbestos, may be arranged between the pile ends and the plate 27.

Operation In the practice of the method, the mold is preferably of such length as to provide for the casting of several pile sections simultaneously, for example, four or iive pile sections, each of which may be feet in length. The structure as shown in FIGURE l, comprising sleeves 25 and 26, members and 31, and unit 38, will be repeated between the adjacent ends of each pair of pile sections throughout the length of the mold, the ends of the mold being closed by plates having openings similar to the opening 41 and through which the cables project to be subjected to tension. The mold and such end plates form per se no part of the present invention.

The top mold section 12 is removed and the members 30 and 31 and the elements therebetween are assembled in the bottom mold section 13 at desired intervals. The cables 42 are then run through the mold, the cables extending through the openings 41 and through end plates closing the mold. The top mold section is then placed in position, whereupon concrete is poured in the open top 14 above each member 30 and below each member 31, as viewed in FIGURE l, the concrete being pushed into the sleeves 25 and 26 to form the ends 22 and 23 of the pile sections. This concrete is prevented from entering the space between the plates 39 by the extension of the cables 42 through the openings 41, and it is prevented from entering the spaces by the members 30 and 31. When the mold has been lled to form all of the pile sections referred to, the surfaces 15 are employed as screeds to scrape olf the excess concrete and thus form a flat top of each mold section to complete the octagonal cross-sectional space thereof. The cables are placed under substantial tension in accordance with the conventionad method of prestressing concrete.

Before placing the sleeves 25 and 26 in the mold, the inner surfaces thereof are preferably greased to minimize any bonding action between the sleeves and the concrete therein` From time to time after the concrete is poured and before it sets, an operator will place the lower end of a pipe or similar tool 46 over the projection 45 of each sleeve 25 and 26 to rock it, and thus break any bonding which tends to occur between the sleeves and the concrete therein. As previously stated, there will be no concrete in the spaces 35, hence the lugs will be accessible through the open mold top 14.

After a period for the suitable hardening of the concrete, for example, overnight, the pile sections are ready to be removed from the mold. The mold section 12 is lifted out of position and each sleeve and its associated pile section will be marked to identify them as associated elements as indicated at X,X and 0,0 in FIGURE 3. The cables 42 will be exposed between the plates 39 and these cables will be snipped to sever connection between adjacent pile sections. These pile sections then may be separated from the mold and the snipped ends of the cables will slip out through the openings 41. The sleeves 25 and 26, not being bonded to the circular portion of each pile section, may be slipped therefrom, together with the members 3) and 31. These members, incidentally, form a space between each sleeve and the larger octagonal portion of the pile so that when the upper pile section is driven, the shoulder thereon will not transmit force to the adjacent sleeve.

The ends of the cables projecting from each pile section are then burned off and the projections 45 (FIGURE 5) will be similarly removed from the sleeves. These sleeves 25 and 26, having been removed, will be placed end to end as in FIGURE 7 adjacent to the plate 27. With the sleeves 25 and 26 supported in axial alignment, the plate 27 is welded thereto as at 28 (FIGURE 2).

It is necessary that the adjacent ends of the pile be perpendicular to the common axis of the pile sections. These pile ends are formed against the plates 39 and the spacing of these plates from each other and their rigid connection thereof as at 40 insures the proper positioning of the plates 39 to form square ends on the pile sections.

It will be apparent that the welding of the sleeves 25 and 26 to the plate 27 takes place wholly separately Vfrom the driving of the piles. Therefore, the lower pile 21, for example, in FIGURE 2, may be driven into the ground and the driving operation will be stopped with the pile end 23 projecting above the ground. The sleeve 26, identitied as the sleeve associated with the pile 21 by the marking 0,0 will then be slipped down over the pile end 23, which it quite accurately lits. The lower end 22 of the upper pile section is then lowered into position within the sleeve 25, similarly identified by the marking X,X as corresponding to the lower end of the pile 20. Preferably with the cushions Sil arranged between the pile ends and the plate 27, the upper pile will be driven and will transmit its thrusts to the lower pile section. Assuming that the pile section 20 is the second pile section driven and is to be followed by other pile sections 20, the ends of the section 20, shown in FIGURE 2, will be provided with the circular ends 22 and 2'3 and corresponding sleeves 25 and 26 to facilitate the connection of the pile section 20 as shown in FIGURE 2 to the next upper pile section 20 shown in FIGURE 3.

It will be apparent that the method of forming the pile ends using the sleeves as mold elements and rocking these sleeves from time to time to prevent the bonding thereof, permits the sleeves to be removed after the pile sections have been formed. These sleeves thus may be assembled with their plates 27 to form connecting units between the pile sections, and the placing of these connecting units in position after a pile section has been driven, eliminates any delay in the placing and driving of the next higher pile section.

The use of spaced plates 39 to provide bulkheads between the pile sections assures the formation of pile ends perpendicular to their axes. This arrangement also permits the use of continuous cables through the mold for the simultaneous prestressing of all of the pile sections, and allows the cables to be cut between the pile sections after they have been molded and prestressed and tenion is relieved on the ends of the cables beyond the mo d.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention and the steps of the method shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement of the parts and in the steps of the method as do not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making and assembling a sectional pile which comprises supporting in a mold co-axially thereof a sleeve of circular cross-section opening into the mold to form a part thereof, pouring concrete into the mold and into the sleeve to form a pile section, rocking the sleeve from time to time on its axis before the concrete sets to prevent the bonding of the sleeve to the concrete, removing the pile section from the mol-d after it has hardened with the sleeve thereon, sliding the sleeve from the pile section, assembling in end-to-end relation the sleeves of two sections thus made and securing an impact member to the adjacent ends of said sleeves, placing one of said sleeves over the end of a pile section which has been partially driven into the ground, and inserting the end of the other pile section into the other sleeve ready to be driven.

2. The method of making sectional piles which comprises placing in a mold a pair of elements to define the ends of adjacent pile sections, placing in the mold axially thereof against said ele-ments at the remote sides thereof cylindrical sleeves communicating with the mold to form parts thereof, pouring concrete into the mold and into the sleeves to form the pile sections, rocking each sleeve from time to time on its aXis to prevent it from bonding With the concrete therein, removing the piles from the mold after they have hardened with the sleeves in position thereon, sliding the sleeves from the ends of the pi-les, placing said sleeves in co-axial alignment with an impact plate therebetween, and welding said plate to said sleeves.

3l. The method of making a plurality of concrete pile sections in a single mold which comprises placing in the mold a plurality of spaced apertured plates each of which is adapted to form an end of a pile section, placing in the mold co-axially thereof sleeves each contacting at one end with the remote faces of the plates and the opening at the other end into the mold, extending tension elements through the mold and through the apertures in said plates to be subject to tensioning for pre-stressing the concrete which will form individual pile sections, pouring concrete into the mold and into the sleeves, rocking each sleeve on its axis from time to time before the concrete sets to prevent it from bonding therewith, cutting the tension elements between said plates to disconnect the pile sections from each other after the concrete has hardened, removing the pile sections from the mold with the associated sleeves in position thereon, sliding the sleeves from the ends of the pile sections correspondingly marking each sleeve and the associated pile section, placing in end-to-end relation the sleeves which were adjacent to each other in the mold and welding them to an impact plate, placing on the upper end of a driven pile section the sleeve marked to correspond to such pile section, and inserting into the other sleeve the pile section marked to correspond to the latter sleeve.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,088,187 5/1963 Justice 264-228 3,192,292 6/1965 Banks 264-71 XR 3,198,857 8/1965 Childers et al. 264-32 3,239,005 3/1966 Bodine 264-71 3,276,092 10/1966 Pankow 25-30 X ROBERT F. WHITE, Prim-ary Examiner. ALEXANDER BRODMERKEL, Examiner. I. A. FINLAYSON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE METHOD OF MAKING AND ASSEMBLING A SECTIONAL PILE WHICH COMPRISES SUPPORTING IN A MOLD CO-AXIALLY THEREOF A SLEEVE OF CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION OPENING INTO THE MOLD TO FORM A PART THEREOF, POURING CONCRETE INTO THE MOLD AND INTO THE SLEEVE TO FORM A PILE SECTION, ROCKING THE SLEEVE FROM TIME TO TIME ON ITS AXIS BEFORE THE CONCRETE SETS TO PREVENT THE BONDING OF THE SLEEVE TO THE CONCRETE, REMOVING THE PILE SECTION FROM THE MOLD AFTER IT HAS HARDENED WITH THE SLEEVE THEREON, SLIDING THE SLEEVE FROM THE PILE SECTION, ASSEMBLING IN END-TO-END RELATION THE SLEEVES OF TWO SECTIONS THUS MADE AND SECURING AN IMPACT MEMBER TO THE ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID SLEEVES, PLACING ONE OF SAID SLEEVES OVER THE END OF A PILE SECTION WHICH HAS BEEN PARTIALLY DRIVEN INTO THE GROUND, AND INSERTING THE END OF THE OTHER PILE SECTION INTO THE OTHER SLEEVE READY TO BE DRIVEN. 